Carburetor suction-release device



March 18, 1930. E. L. GRAUEL CARBURETOR SUCTION RELEASE DEVICE .Filed Sept. 6, 1925 Patentedl Mar. 18, 1930 OFFICE EDWIN Il. GBAUEL, OF CINCINNATI, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO TH GRAULOCK COMPANY, OF CINCINNATI, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF OHIO CARBURETOR SUCTION-R-ELEASE DEVICE y Application led September 61923. Serial No. 661,275.

My invention relates to devices for use in connection with the carburetors of internal combustion engines, whereby the suction action through the manifold on the carburetor is relieved, While at the lsame time providing a flow of air through the manifold to scavenge the engine, and prevent creation of a vacuum in the combustion chamber during the expansion stroke, and prevent an accu- 10 mulation of unburnt liquid fuel in the combustion chamber.

Expressed in other terms, it is my object to cut 0E pneumatically, the carburetor of an internal combustion engine, thereby effecting a number of highly valuable results.

In the driving of a motor vehicle, the usual method of stopping the operation of the engine is to unclutch the driving mechanism and then turn off the ignition switch. This does not prevent the engine from turning over a number of times, and during this free turning over Without combustion a number of things happen. f

If the throttle has been turned oif, which is usually the case in slowing up before stopping, the cylinders Which come to their suction stroke, cannot get ,gas from' the carburetor, and hence tend to'suck up oil from the crank case, which oil is not burnt at that time but lies in the combustion chamber above the piston. Such fuel as is sucked in is not burnt, and condenses and stays in the cylinder, mixing with the oil. The Wider open the throttle when turning oii' the ignition, the more of this unburnt liquid will accumulate above the piston. t

The accumulated liquid made up of oil thinned down by gasoline, runs down into the crank case, in part, thereby thinning the oil there and cutting down its lubricating quality. Such of`- it as stays in the combustion chamber, burns improperly. and carbonizes the valves and parts with which it comes in contact.

In coasting down a hill, with the ignition switch turned off, so that the engine can brake the movement of the vehicle, this situation attendant upon stopping is greatly eX- aggerated, and the deleterious results are also greatly increased. Vith the throttle Wide open, the vaccumulation of unburnt liquid is i large, and with the throttle tight closed, the oil pumping action is quite harmful.

In aeroplane practice, the action of coasting, i. e. of turning olf of the ignition, While vol-planing, results in a similar effect to a. motor vehicle coasting down hill with the clutch holding and the ignition off. The propeller of the aeroplane is revolved by the wind action, which cranks the engine around, and sucks'in gasoline (liquid fuel) or sucks up oil, or both, in either instance dragging the engine, making it likely not to start up at once, and in addition flooding the driver with oil and gasoline. f

My invention is directed to avoiding the above dilliiculties` and in addition thereto,

providing the driver of an internal combustion engine. with means for cleaning outor scavenging his engine cylinders While coasting. I combine the relief device with the ignition switch 0f the engine, and Operate it electro-magnetically thereby obtaining an automatic operation of the device Whenever the ignition is turned off.

In its mechanical essentials my invention consists in an electro-magnet to open up a large port in the manifold of an internal combustion engine,.thereby cutting out the carburetor altogether, by relieving the suction which operates it. I could provide for this action b v other than electrical means, and generically my invention is intended to cover any means having cooperation with the ignition switch, or any means generically, which opens up a large enough hole inthe manifold of an internal combustion. engine to entirely1 or practically entirelyr cut off the carburetor from action. y

I am avvare of the fact that it has been the practice in a certain automobile accessory .de-v

vice to help the combustion in such engines, by providing a small air intake 1n the man1- fold. thereby improving the mixture under predetermined conditions. My invention dif-j.

fers from such devices in one Way, in the size of the air intake, since I provide so large a. one as to prevent the operation of the carburetor venturis, and thev lift from t-he mixing chamber or chambers. l

My object above outlined and other advantages to be noted,`I accomplishlbythat' cer'- tain construction and arrangement of parts to, be hereinafter more specifically pointed 5 out and claimed. K

In the drawings; y i v Figure 1 is a perspective view showing my device on the lmanifold of an engine;

Figure 2 is ay cent'ral vertical section ment. .Figu/fe 3 is-a plan view ofthe armature dev1ce.l

have shown or indicated inthe drawings '15 a manifold 1, for an engine 2.. This manifold is tapped to receive the threaded vend 3 ofa pipe 4, which I have shown as a three quarter .inch pipe. yOn the pipe is a thrust nut 5, and

a lead washer, cut out to a curve to engage fraction of an inch of pull on its armature by 85 over the -face Tof the manifold, and form a tight seal under the nut 5. 4 i e Y y I provide a case 7 for electro-magnets 8, whichl case may be of any type desired. It is here shown as a cylindrical body, having a closed top on which is binding post 9 forwires 10 lfrom the output side of the ignition coil of a motor vehicle, aeroplane or the like. In this case, which isp'eferably formed with apertures 11, tov give plenty of access :of air thereto, are slots 12, 12, which guide the armature piece 8a. i

The case 7 is here shown 14, to a valve chamber yhousing 15, with which ing is particularly arrange with a large port surroundedby a valve seat 16, 'and a slightly smaller port surrounded by a valve seat 17,

thelatter seat having the greater-taper.

The valvedevice which opens and closes' the ports, is intended to permit a free -flow o f i a1rthrough the pipel 4 into the manifold, this rflowI being sufficient to more than by-pass the carburetor vof the engine in question.

The bottom, platef18 of this housingl, is

5o f y 4 The two valves are mounted adjustably, by

`the formation of a boss 21` on the lower and e 'smaller valve,'and a` threadedpost 22 on thel larger valve, with a lock nut 23 on thejstem,

so that thepost can bescrewed into the asto their seats. l l

4The means fory attachment of the two valves l `to the armature of the' electro-magnet in my ,illustrated embodiment comprises a screw 24,

' threaded into a socket in the ltop valve, with lock nuts 25 to bind the threaded engagement.

l y These nuts can be'reached by a special tool that hooks around the armature 8*, which it will noted does not lill themagnet case.

through m'y device in an illustrative emb0d i" as held'by screwsis integrally formed the ppe 4. This'houssembly, locked, and the twovalves be groundd "is hollowed o'ut to provide a seat for a spring V 27 which is set around the screw and bears onp the head of the screw and on a plate 28 sol- 70,

' dered over the under side rofv the armature to close the spring chamber. A stop nut 29 1s v mounted over the screw;

In operation the magnet is energized when the ignition switch is turned on, and pulls up the two valves to their seats. The action of the armatureA is such that it pulls the valves against their seats before it is fully engaged by' the magnets, leaving say a thirty second of an inch of movement. The spring is then sow compressed by the further movement, since the head of the screw can slide ,through the armature against the spring resistance.

This action is` accomplished because the last ting thev'alves Ato seat properly when the mag- 95 net armature is in home position. Refinements in adjustment are avoided by giving aA play of a fraction of an inch, to the armature.

The relative sizes of thet'w'p valves results' inthe valve assembly having enough of a `1 balance thattends to suck them open, that when they are released from the magnets,

they lwill at once be sucked to wide open position, L This balance is not great enough, how-- ever; to prevent enough of an equalization of pressures on all sides of the valves, that they will stay closed under the influence of a small magnetism.

' The opening to the atmosphere through 110 ,theztwo valve seats is proportioned so, that with the engine running, land the carburetor throttle Wide open, the air rushing into the manifold through the, valves will cut out the influx of air through the carburetor so much so that no fuel will be lifted thrqugh the carf buretor mixing chambersto the manifold. 'l If the devicelfails tolwork for any reason it can be latched shut bya plate lscreweld 1;()-

the base of the housing;A \A

It will be noted that another. way fof ac 'fcomplishing my object would be use the .i I electro-magnets to close the float valve of a vcarburetor, but this- Wolden` u ire thought -5 Ion the lpart of, the driven oft eaengine, to open his throttlewide'enough for influx of air through the Jmanifold. With the gaso line shut oil and the throttle closed the resultf f 13o tothe engine would be that uponthe expanfslonstroke, avacuumwould/ beset up in the.

ignition switch bar to mechanically open and close the valves in the device described. No mechanism is shown for this purpose, since it will bereadily understood that some universally jointed rods. such as are used to control the carburetors in internal combustion engines, could be connected to the valves,

in the manner that the armature in the above showing is connected.

Another advantage of my structure over a device which nvrely shuts offl the fuel from the arburetor, is that the residual fuel in the carburetor at the instant of shutting off the ignition would be drawn into the engine, this being one of the main things I wish to avoid. The scavenging effect of a rush of clean air as accomplished by my invention is best obtained by a structure such as I have shown, which is fool proof to a high degree and requires no added action on the part of a driver.

' In aeroplanes my device removes one of the most apparent elements of danger resulting from failure of engines to operate, and as long as the connecting wires or Wire (in case of a grounded case), are not broken, the magnets will work. because only a very slight current is required, and there are no moving parts to be broken as in the Case of mechanical means of operation.

An electro-magnet, having only a slight pull to impart, is the safest means of operating a mechanism from a relatively remote point, such as the drivers seat in an automobile.

I do not desire to be limited to the form Iof device shown, because of my failure to an opening into the manifold, and a pair of interconnected valves arranged for simultaneously closing and opening two otherports in the chamber that open to the air and means for closing said valves, one of said valves being slightly larger than the other, so that under a slight vacuum in the manifold the tendency to move to open position will be greater than to move to closed position.

2. In `an internal combustion engine, the combination with the manifold thereof, of a valve chamber and a valve therefor, said chamber -opening into the manifold, and the 7alve controlling an air port, and electromagnetic means for closing said valve comprising Vanelectro-magnet and an armature, with the armature having a spring connection with the valve so arranged that the valve is closed before the magnet armature is in home position by a fraction of an inch.

3. In an internal combustion engine, the combination with the manifold thereof, of a valve chamber, and a valve therefor, said chamber opening into the manifoldy and the valve controlling the air port, and electromagnetic means for closing said valve comprising an electro-magnet and an armature, with the armature having a spring connection with the valve so arranged that the valve is closed before the magnet armature is in home position by a fraction of an inch, said armature connection comprising a screw, a spring pocket in the armature having a spring with which the head of the screw engages, and means on the valve for engaging the screw.

4. In combination with the intake mani.- fold of an internal combustion engine, a pair of air relief valves of uneven size coupled together. the larger of the valves so arranged as to open with suction in the manifold carrying the smaller valve also to open position', and means for closing said valves.

' 5. In combination with the intake manifold of an internal combustion engine, a pair of air relief Valves of uneven size coupled together', the larger of the valves so arranged as to open with suction in the manifold carrying the smaller valve also to open position, means for closing said valves, and resilient means tending to open said valves With the inhibition of said closing means.

EDWIN L. GRAUEL. 

